VILLAGE OF WHITEFISH BAY, Wis. — Whitefish Bay residents attended a listening session at Village Hall on Monday to discuss the next steps in replacing lead pipes.
Over 84% of homes in the Village are impacted by lead pipes.
Shirley and Richard Behrendt own one of the over 2,000 properties in the village impacted by lead water lines that can have major health impacts on everyday drinking water.
"Water is one of those silent things where you don't know something is wrong until you do some real testing," said Richard Behrendt.
The Behrendts received a letter alerting them that their home is impacted.
Village of WFB Lead Notice (1) by TMJ4 News on Scribd
It brought them to the open house run by the village leader to ask their questions.
"It sounds like a big project, but I have a feeling once the project is all done it will be money well spent."
According to village representatives, lead pipe removal could cost $8,000 per homeowner and is a process that will be ongoing throughout the village over at least the next decade.
The session followed a ruling by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandating water systems across the country replace lead service lines by 2037, and comes months after President Joe Biden visited Wisconsin to announce the new investments to help effort it.
The process is expected to employ thousands of local trade workers and unions, with Milwaukee having 65,000 lead pipes in use—the most in the state.
Watch: Biden touts new investments in lead pipe removal during trip to Milwaukee
Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups.
RELATED:
-Read our previous coverage
-Register for the 2025 Monitoring Program
Watch: Whitefish Bay residents hear plan for lead pipe replacement at listening session
The Village of Whitefish Bay says it has already begun replacing lead service lines and is now scaling up the effort.
Plans include working with industry experts to develop a comprehensive replacement strategy that meets EPA requirements, including phasing and financing options, according to a lead notice from the Village.
The project is expected to take about 10 years or longer if an extension is granted to complete all replacements. Additionally, the Village will conduct lead testing at 60 households in 2025 as part of its Monitoring Site Plan.
Attendees were able to pick up a water testing kit and ask officials questions. The test kits cost $34 to receive lab results.
Officials available for questions included Village Trustee and physician Jay Balachandran, the North Shore Health Department, the North Shore Water Commission, and village staff.
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